Summer to Fall Reading

At the meet and greet with Third Day I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Mark Lee and to talk to him about the book club. This summer he was running a summer reading "contest" and I was participating. I didn't expect to win anything, but I'd been involved in the book club for a while, and it really did get me reading again. For that I am extremely grateful! So I set about to make a summer reading list. I am still plugging away at the list, but not doing so badly. Mark promised to follow up on the summer reading club as it had rather fallen by the wayside. True to his word, he posted the following the very next day:

"OK, so today's mission, if anybody's still here to accept it, is to make your case for why you deserve a prize from the Summer Reading Club Committee. It could be a list of all the books you've read. It could be a GREAT review of one book you've read. You could go the sympathy route and try to get me and my committee to give you a pity award."

Hmmm.. so why should I win an award? I have nothing to compare myself, too, so I will make my appeal as to my accomplishments and let it go from there.

First of all, I had some misunderstandings in the beginning, and started a bit late. We were given the opportunity to write reviews for a book or two before things started, and I did just that, although one of the books I probably was reading when the contest started. This is my blog from June 12 (exhibit 1?) with a list of books and two book reviews (Pilgrim's Regress, and The Five People You Meet in Heaven.)
http://woman4life.blogspot.com/2008/06/summer-book-club.html

I did fairly well with my summer book list, finishing Pilgrim's Regress, Push My Life Into a Dufflebag, Emergence, Three, Scientific Facts in the Bible: 100 Reasons to Believe the Bible is Supernatural in Origin, and am most of the way through God's Debris (should finish tonight) and UnChristian. I have written three reviews. I really accomplished more than I had first thought. Oh.. and I tried to bribe the judge with a bookmark. ;) (JK) Seriously, for those accomplishments, I would love to be considered as a winner.

However, whether I win an award or not, I have already received a very great gift. Between Mark Lee's recommendations, discoveries while looking for recommended books in the bookstore or online, Jacob Marshall's blog, etc., I have started reading again, and thinking, too. I met an author and bought his book (A Circle of Doors) and may read it next, and I feel my life has been enriched. Thanks.

--Melanie